Kwans refused to be TKD

[miguksaram]

Fair point & one I understand well. But that is why I clearly stated (& requoted above) "loosely & broadly".

Fair enough

However the merger talks are always about ITF & WTF, plus the majority of people in my experience use ITF & WTF to distinguish between the 2 major groups.

Right and the majority of the people are incorrect when distinguishing the two in that matter.

The Modern History of TKD by Lee & Kang accurately depicts the formative years of TKD & then the path taken by Kukki TKD. It does not mention Gen Choi, his Pioneers & what they did or how the ITF grew after the mid to late 1960s.
So to be more inclusive they could have included that branch of TKD & its seperate development. They didn't so maybe it should be retitled The Modern History of what would become Kukki TKD or Olympic sport TKD etc, but yes I know not WTF TKD

I can agree with that.

 

[leadleg]

If I understand correctly the advisory board is for technical matters when dealing with compeititon poomosae not the development. Yes, books can be written by WTF leaders, but they KKW certified instructors writing books on the KKW TKD system. They are not writing about a whole new system thought up by WTF advisory board.

You are right they do not think up a whole new system,but they are being involved in promoting the art. Which is beyond the limited role you give them.

Right....they are teaching the KKW way. Which just proves my point that while WTF handles the sport aspect of the TKD it is KKW who develops the system itself. To say you are practicing WTF style of TKD is technically not correct. The WTF reflects only what the KKW developed. They may tweak for purposes of competition, but the core is KKW TKD not WTF TKD.

Let me see you have never heard any one say WTF style? You telling me what is correct or incorrect about how I explain and am universally understood,is hilarious,considering you call yourself kukki tkd but your school name is Sharky's Karate.Also you use Japanese terms on your signature.Besides you are proving my point WTF is KKW TKD so show me where You feel we should use only your term.

Ok...then answer me this; You say that WTF tells you you need KKW proof of certification. When I go for my next rank in TKD will the KKW ask me for my WTF membership of if I have participated in the World Poomsae Championships or any WTF related tournament?

The KKW wil not be asking you jack,if you did participate at worlds they may at least recognise you.As you well know unless you annex youself into a small country you will never be a member of the WTF,only practicing that style.Lastly if the WTF did not require KKW proof cert. not near as many people would go for it.
One without the other? I don't think so.

 

[miguksaram]

You are right they do not think up a whole new system,but they are being involved in promoting the art. Which is beyond the limited role you give them.

The role I depict them in is their core roll. By saying they are a system TKD simply because they promote it would be no different than to say I am system of TKD because I teach and promote it my students.

Let me see you have never heard any one say WTF style? You telling me what is correct or incorrect about how I explain and am universally understood...

Just because it is acceptable does not mean it is correct. It was universally understood that TKD was 2000 years old. It was universally understood that the sun revolved around the earth. Were either universally understood concepts correct?

...is hilarious,considering you call yourself kukki tkd but your school name is Sharky's Karate. Also you use Japanese terms on your signature.Besides you are proving my point WTF is KKW TKD so show me where You feel we should use only your term.

~sigh~Seriously...you are going to play the Karate card on me? I am certified 3rd dan KKW. I have been involved in Korean martial arts for 25+ years. I started in Tangsoodo in 1984 where I received my 1st dan back in 1987. During my time in the military I got involved in KKW TKD while stationed in Italy, where I was awarded my 1st dan through the school, but no KKW certification. When I got back to the states I began teaching and practicing Chungdokwan under Mst. Kim, Gab-tong where I received my KKW 1st dan and a Chungdokwan 1st dan (circa 1992). I left the school due to moving. I began studying at a school which held several different classes. I chose Hapkido and Kempo/Kenjutsu, but helped with the Takekwondo class which was headed by Mst. Glen Gavin. I was there until 1998 when I moved again and began studying KKW TKD, Kumdo under GM Park, Kyoung-ho...there he requested me to finally test for my 2nd dan since I was 1st dan for so long. I moved again in 2003 where I took up Shorei-ryu Karate under Sensei John Sharkey, which incidently was the first art that I learned when I started martial arts back in 1980. I have still visit GM Park from time to time, I still work with TKD kids who come to our training camps and still remain active in the Korean TKD community through friends and fellow school owners. I was recently promoted to KKW 3rd Dan back in 2009.

So please do not let the "Karate" fool you. I have a little bit of insight on TKD and its culture. At least enough that Pres. Lee, Sang-chul thought I would be a good fit and was generous enough to allow me to participate in two Masters trip they help sponsor back in 2009 and 2010.

The KKW wil not be asking you jack,if you did participate at worlds they may at least recognise you.As you well know unless you annex youself into a small country you will never be a member of the WTF,only practicing that style.Lastly if the WTF did not require KKW proof cert. not near as many people would go for it.
One without the other? I don't think so.

You still don't get it. It doesn't matter if WTF required KKW cert or not. They are not a style of martial arts. They are mearly a sports organization who promotes the STYLE of KKW TKD.

 

[leadleg]

Whatever cowboy, I will use and will accept the term WTF style or KKW style without acting as if everyone must toe my line.
Your history does nothing to impress me as much as the Karate School you associate yourself with while you dabble in the Korean Arts.

 

[miguksaram]

Whatever cowboy, I will use and will accept the term WTF style or KKW style without acting as if everyone must toe my line.
Your history does nothing to impress me as much as the Karate School you associate yourself with while you dabble in the Korean Arts.

Wasn't looking to impress you or anyone else for that matter. Wasn't even trying to recruit you to my way of thinking. You were the one that brought up that I am in a Karate school and that you shouldn't take me serious because of it. So I simply explained my Korean MA background to help give some merit to what I am saying. You want to be technically wrong...your perogative. I will still state what is correct regadless of the main party line. And yes, I will continue...ummm..."dabble" in the Korean arts as I have done so for many years...enjoy the kool-aide.

 

[leadleg]

I don't mind the technicality issue,nor the WTF is nothing more than a sport organisation,its the attitude that you feel someone should speak in your terms. I have no clue as to what party line you are speaking of,nor your reference to kool aid.

 

[miguksaram]

I don't mind the technicality issue,nor the WTF is nothing more than a sport organisation,its the attitude that you feel someone should speak in your terms. I have no clue as to what party line you are speaking of,nor your reference to kool aid.

The "attitude" I display is nothing more than your personal emotions playing a part in how you interrpret what you are reading. Since you can not read my body language, see my facial expression, or hear the sound of my voice in an posting, you can not determine what my attitude unless I make snide remarks or RAISE MY LETTERS.

I answered questions and explained my point...somewhere along the way, you seem to get ruffled up...why? I do not know. I looked back at my postings and unless it was the question I asked "Ok...then answer me this;...." that caused you to feel I have an attitude, I don't believe I displayed having an attitude on any of this. However, I know what my attitude and intent was in my postings. So my perspective, naturally, is biased. It wasn't until you called me out on being in karate that I started show any type of attitude in my posting. Even then the attitude was amusement, not anger because I find it amusing when KMA people play the "your a karate person" card against me thinking I have no knowledge in TKD or any KMA for that matter.

So again if you do not subscribe to my way of thinking...no problem. My sun will rise and set the same as it always has. You don't want to take my opinoins seriously because I study Karate, that is fine. You consider my 25+ years as "dabbling" in Korean arts, that is fine, because basicly you don't know anything about me or my involvement in the Korean arts outside of the basic bio I put up here.

For the record...the party line I am referring to are all those who say WTF TKD....The Kool-aide reference is from Jonestown incident back in 1978. As I do not know your age, the reference may be lost on you.

 

[msmitht]

Wow. You guys and girls can rant. Politics aside...
I have been studying korean, japanese and brazilian martial arts since 1978. There are many different versions of tkd history out there. Most koreans will not tell you the whole truth without some soju. The younger generation doesn't know or doesn't want to. You all should know that history depends on your point of view, or at least the pov of the writer.
1. The written texts are all biased towards the org the writer belongs to. Anything claimed before the japanese occupation is heresay. The japanese, like any conquering nation, destroyed all books/scrolls and put down teachers(killed). Any martial history b4 1900 has ben fabricated or they embeleshed what they found on tombs.
2. There were 5 kwans and they all practiced a mix of karate, kung fu and diato ryu jiujitsu(or judo). Due to anti japanese/chinese mindset this has been left out of many textbooks.
3. There are no more kwans in korea
4. At least bjj and judo have a simple hiistory that is well documented. Too much bickering here. You are all too obsessed and need to go train and forget about a partially falsified history. Unless you want to start talking about all the gangsters there were in the original kwans...oh right, that would not bring students in the door!

 

[miguksaram]

Unless you want to start talking about all the gangsters there were in the original kwans...oh right, that would not bring students in the door!

Depends on where you open your school.

 

[msmitht]

Depends on where you open your school.

Rotflol! True though.

 

[puunui]

3. There are no more kwans in korea

Actually there still are.

 

[puunui]

Great post. I am well aware of the nasty Korean politics & how they have hurt TKD & people in TKD. I see how they impacted Dr Kim & Kukki TKD, but you seem not willing to see how nasty politics hurt Gen Choi & his TKD people. The knife cuts both ways Sir

"nasty korean politics". To me, it is just politics, and adding nasty and korean, doesn't do anything. Also, General Choi's situation and Dr. Kim's situation are different. General Choi was a hinderance and obstacle to the process. He directly or indirectly caused the downfall of two Kwan Jang, GM Son and GM Hwang. He needed to go in order for Taekwondo to move forward. But Dr. Kim, he was doing what he was supposed to be doing and got caught up in between two different political parties. He was like a President Bush appointee who was taken down by President Obama, which hurt the United States overall, which the Obama Administration later recognized.

 

[KarateMomUSA]

Wow. You guys and girls can rant. Politics aside...
I have been studying korean, japanese and brazilian martial arts since 1978. There are many different versions of tkd history out there. Most koreans will not tell you the whole truth without some soju. MOST KOREANS DO NOT KNOW THE WHOLE TRUTH

The younger generation doesn't know or doesn't want to. You all should know that history depends on your point of view, or at least the pov of the writer. NO OFTEN HISTORY IN THE SHORT TERM IS DEPENDENT ON THE POV OF THE WRITER & THAT IS INFLUENCED BY THOSE IN POWER. BUT AFTER THE PASSAGE OF TIME, THOSE IN POWER MOVE ON & HISTORIANS ARE FREER TO RECORD HISTORY AS IT HAPPENED. THIS IS WHAT IS HAPPENING NOW. KOREA REALIZES THAT THE 2,000 YEAR OLD MYTH DID NOT WORK & NOW THAT SOUTH KOREA IS A DEMOCRACY, HISTORIANS, REPORTERS, WRITERS & THOSE THAT WERE THERE CAN TELL THE STORY WITHOUT FEAR OF REPRISAL OR BEING CENSURED!

1. The written texts are all biased towards the org the writer belongs to. Anything claimed before the japanese occupation is heresay. The japanese, like any conquering nation, destroyed all books/scrolls and put down teachers(killed). Any martial history b4 1900 has ben fabricated or they embeleshed what they found on tombs. OF COURSE & WHAT THEY FOUND IN TOMBS MAY NOT EVEN PROVE THAT THEY HAD MAs BACK THEN & IF THEY DID, IT WASN'T TKD! DOES IT REALLY MATTER WHO HAD MAs 1ST?

2. There were 5 kwans and they all practiced a mix of karate, kung fu and diato ryu jiujitsu(or judo). Due to anti japanese/chinese mindset this has been left out of many textbooks. YES

3. There are no more kwans in korea YES THERE ARE & THEY EXIST OFFICIALLY AS SOCIAL CLUBS, BUT I DO THINK THAT THEY HAVE A MARTIAL ART ASPECT TO THEM

4. At least bjj and judo have a simple hiistory that is well documented. Too much bickering here. You are all too obsessed and need to go train and forget about a partially falsified history. Unless you want to start talking about all the gangsters there were in the original kwans...oh right, that would not bring students in the door!

I am engaged in a discussion to help sort out all the BS many have come to know over the years for exactly the same reasons that you accurately point out above & more. The web is a powerful tool for the open exchange of ideas & the debunking of myths. I for one am enjoying these threads & what valuable info that has been posted. I hope it continues as it will help to shed light on much nonsense passed off in the past as truth.
The TRUTH shall set ye FREE!

 

[KarateMomUSA]

"nasty korean politics". To me, it is just politics, and adding nasty and korean, doesn't do anything.

I am sure that whenever 2 or more get together in most relationships there is the normal "politics" that such relationships entail, often needed to foster connections & get things done. At times these politics do become "nasty". In the discussion of TKD's history, how it developed & who developed it, several levels & types of politics play a part. The label "Korean" is added as these politics not only took place in Korea, by Koreans, among Koreans & towards Koreans, but they at times had actual Korean national, international & inter/intra-Korean geo-politics involved.
I think that the Koreans that had their lives affected negatively, in some cases ruined, by being blacklisted as communists or traitors, would indeed feel that it was nasty.

Also, General Choi's situation and Dr. Kim's situation are different. General Choi was a hinderance and obstacle to the process. He directly or indirectly caused the downfall of two Kwan Jang, GM Son and GM Hwang. He needed to go in order for Taekwondo to move forward. But Dr. Kim, he was doing what he was supposed to be doing and got caught up in between two different political parties. He was like a President Bush appointee who was taken down by President Obama, which hurt the United States overall, which the Obama Administration later recognized.

Of course the situations were different. But the point still remains unanswered or unaddressed that regardless of their respective situations, nasty Korean politics played a part in attacking them. That is my point!
Gen Choi was a hindrance to the progress of Kukki TKD. I have always conceded that. While there were people who wanted to pay back Gen Choi for how he abused them when he was in power under the puppet govt & people who resented his poor leadership style & did not like his type of TKD or his focus & direction, the source of his political troubles was the fact that he became a leading outspoken critic of the dictatorships, similar to GM Lee Won Kuk getting screwed over because of politics. The more that Gen Choi raised his voice of opposition, the more the screws were put to him & his private ITF TKD organization, as many like to refer to it as. There is no doubt that Gen Choi was a political person & that he used TKD & the ITF to further his political agende. That came with a price & part of that price was an all out war conducted by the dictators through the KCIA, which also had TKD people in south Korea trying to minimize his role, accomplishments etc.

So while south Korea may not recognize the ITF or didn't during the military dictators regimes, many around the world do. People around the world need also to know what the ITF TKD has done & who were the ones that did it, just as Kukki TKD should do with what they have done & who got it done. It is sad that in south Korea today, the ITF Dojangs have that communist stigma, with at least 1 being forced to move to the international area, as Koreans will not join.

So Chang Hon TKD & Kukki TKD have shared roots. But then the history has to be told in at least 2 stories, Chag Hon & Kukki. We have to stop the myths & more importantly the attacks on the other side. We know that they are different, just keep the stories seperate, but keep them honest

Gen Choi broke laws in south Korea when he went to north Korea starting in 1979.
Dr Kim broke laws in south Korea when he did things against the law, at the behest of a corrupt govt.
Gen Choi could have chose an honorable way according to many, when it came to north Korea. He may use the excuse he did it for TKD & Korea.
Dr Kim could have chose an honorable way according to many, when he was asked to break laws. He may use the excuse he did it for TKD & Korea.
I guess each of us is free to decide on their honor, but there is still no getting around what they have done for their TKD & Korea!

 

[leadleg]

The "attitude" I display is nothing more than your personal emotions playing a part in how you interrpret what you are reading. Since you can not read my body language, see my facial expression, or hear the sound of my voice in an posting, you can not determine what my attitude unless I make snide remarks or RAISE MY LETTERS.

I answered questions and explained my point...somewhere along the way, you seem to get ruffled up...why? I do not know. I looked back at my postings and unless it was the question I asked "Ok...then answer me this;...." that caused you to feel I have an attitude, I don't believe I displayed having an attitude on any of this. However, I know what my attitude and intent was in my postings. So my perspective, naturally, is biased. It wasn't until you called me out on being in karate that I started show any type of attitude in my posting. Even then the attitude was amusement, not anger because I find it amusing when KMA people play the "your a karate person" card against me thinking I have no knowledge in TKD or any KMA for that matter.

So again if you do not subscribe to my way of thinking...no problem. My sun will rise and set the same as it always has. You don't want to take my opinoins seriously because I study Karate, that is fine. You consider my 25+ years as "dabbling" in Korean arts, that is fine, because basicly you don't know anything about me or my involvement in the Korean arts outside of the basic bio I put up here.

For the record...the party line I am referring to are all those who say WTF TKD....The Kool-aide reference is from Jonestown incident back in 1978. As I do not know your age, the reference may be lost on you.

I am sorry Jeramy I did not mean bad attitude just the attitude that we need to call the style what you think we should.
I think it is funny that you would ask a Taekwondoin to use your language when you come across as a karate guy,not that there is any thing wrong with that,I was one once a long,long time ago.
The term WTF school or style is very common in my circles,AAU USAT USTC ETC..
I did not know there was any sort of movement out there to call WTF TKD versus KKW TKD.Yes I know the reference to jonestown just wonder who you think is handing out said kool aid.
I have never checked your bio here,I do know you do some stuff for USTC.I did see a woman wearing a Sharky's Karate uniform at the inst.lisc.course in Chicago,is this a representative of your TKD?
Anyway relax I am not out to get you,after all we both practice WTF TKD right?er I mean Kukki Tkd

 

[miguksaram]

I am sorry Jeramy I did not mean bad attitude just the attitude that we need to call the style what you think we should.

Sorry if anyone felt I came off as saying you need to call it KKW TKD. The only thing anyone NEEDS to do is live a good life. As I said, you do not need subscribe to my thoughts on how it should be named. I am just saying that it is the correct way of referring to it. Do it or don't it....it's all the same. My point was just trying to educate some people who actually do not know what style they are learning because, as you said, many people simply refer to it as WTF style, when that is incorrect. Now once people know which is right and wrong it is up to them to adjust.

I think it is funny that you would ask a Taekwondoin to use your language when you come across as a karate guy,not that there is any thing wrong with that,I was one once a long,long time ago.

But it is not my language...it is Taekwondo language. How does one come across as a karate guy vs a Taekwondo guy? I speak basic-intermediate Korean, I am well versed in Korean culture, I study Korean history, watch Korean dramas...hell I prefer Korean drinks over sake. ha.ha.ha. Not sure how I come off as a Karate guy outside of my signature.

The term WTF school or style is very common in my circles,AAU USAT USTC ETC..
I did not know there was any sort of movement out there to call WTF TKD versus KKW TKD.Yes I know the reference to jonestown just wonder who you think is handing out said kool aid.

There is no movement, just correcting what I saw was wrong. Kool-aide referenced because, you said that most everyone calls it WTF TKD. Just because everyone else is doing it, didn't make it correct and to use the mentality of hey it's just the way it is and accept it like drinking the kool-aide at Jonestown.

I have never checked your bio here,I do know you do some stuff for USTC.

I was referring to my quick bio that I posted in this thread. Yes, I am involved with the USTC. After meeting with Pres. Lee and meeting many great US TKD pioneers and their students, I decided that they have kool-aide I want to drink. ha.ha.ha.

I did see a woman wearing a Sharky's Karate uniform at the inst.lisc.course in Chicago,is this a representative of your TKD?

Did the back of her uniform have a triangle and said Sharkey's Karate? If so I honestly do not know who she was. There have been no Sharkey instructors that I know of that attended the seminar.

Anyway relax I am not out to get you,after all we both practice WTF TKD right?er I mean Kukki Tkd

ha.ha.ha...No worries...These type of things rarely get to me. When you meet me in person you will find that I am still adamant about my veiw points, but I'm very easy going...especially after having some soju.

 

[SahBumNimRush]

I know this is off topic, but I'm curious what Sharkey's is like these days. When I was in Chiropractic school in Chicago (actually in Lombard), I trained with one of Sharkey's old students that I went to school with. It was a great fit for a training partner, very traditional in technique and mindset. I was surprised to find out that Mike Chaturantabut and Matt Mullens were Sharkey's students, since they were the "founders" of XMA ("extreme" martial arts) which is anything but traditional, if you could consider it a MARTIAL art at all. My friend that trained under Sensei Sharkey told me that he trained with Mike Chat when they were both students and that the classes were still very traditional, but my friend left when he went away to school many years ago. I am just curious if the gymnastic/movie/flash stuff had been encorporated into the curriculum or if it is still only traditional Shorei-ryu.

For those of you not familiar with Mike Chat, he was the blue power ranger and was one of the guys who really innovated the kick tricks and gymnastics part of creative forms and weapons, which IMNSHO is not martial arts at all. Although it is very entertaining to watch!

 

[miguksaram]

I know this is off topic, but I'm curious what Sharkey's is like these days.

Sensei Sharkey hasn't really changed at all. Well he may not be as "mean" as he once was, but times dictate that he be a more kinder gentler Sensei, which would still be considered hard in today's standars. ha.haha He is still very much a stern traditionalist when it comes to what we do.

When I was in Chiropractic school in Chicago (actually in Lombard), I trained with one of Sharkey's old students that I went to school with. It was a great fit for a training partner, very traditional in technique and mindset.

Did you train with Leo Gerdov or Jack Groves? Leo is the only one that I know who went to the school as a student, but Jack was VP there I believe. And yes both are very traditional instructors.

I was surprised to find out that Mike Chaturantabut and Matt Mullens were Sharkey's students, since they were the "founders" of XMA ("extreme" martial arts) which is anything but traditional, if you could consider it a MARTIAL art at all.

Mike and Matt are very traditional in what they do and they are very talented in the XMA are as well. I would not call them founders, but they Mike did develope the XMA format which is being taught in many schools. It is show only and never meant to be taught as a style. However that is a whole thread in of its own.

My friend that trained under Sensei Sharkey told me that he trained with Mike Chat when they were both students and that the classes were still very traditional, but my friend left when he went away to school many years ago. I am just curious if the gymnastic/movie/flash stuff had been encorporated into the curriculum or if it is still only traditional Shorei-ryu.

While we have an XMA class (not really taught the way Mike's curriculum works) it is a seperate program all together. Our classes are traditional Shorei-ryu classes. We still teach it traditionally. Sensei Sharkey likes the XMA program but is very strict on our students who enter it. They must be doing well in their traditional classes, they must attend at least 2 of their classes a week in order to participate in the XMA class on the weekend. They must maintain a good GPA. He believes, as does Mike and Matt, that in order to be truely successful in the XMA program you MUST have a strong foundation in traditional arts. Mike himself said flash is trash without good basics. We must be doing something right as we just had our 12th Annual 4 Day Winter Camp end yesterday where we had people from all over the US attending (TX, IA, WI, MI, NY, IL, FL, ME). They came for both traditional and XMA training.

For those of you not familiar with Mike Chat, he was the blue power ranger and was one of the guys who really innovated the kick tricks and gymnastics part of creative forms and weapons, which IMNSHO is not martial arts at all. Although it is very entertaining to watch!

To add to that Matt Mullins was Wing Knight on the now defunct series Kamen Riders. He also starred in Adventures of Johnny Tao, Blood Sport 2010 and developed the Sideswipe Performance Team which landed in the top 8 of America's Got Talent and has now landed a 6 month gig at the Tropicana in Las Vegas (www.sideswipelive.com).

 

[SahBumNimRush]

Sensei Sharkey hasn't really changed at all. Well he may not be as "mean" as he once was, but times dictate that he be a more kinder gentler Sensei, which would still be considered hard in today's standars. ha.haha He is still very much a stern traditionalist when it comes to what we do.


Did you train with Leo Gerdov or Jack Groves? Leo is the only one that I know who went to the school as a student, but Jack was VP there I believe. And yes both are very traditional instructors.


Mike and Matt are very traditional in what they do and they are very talented in the XMA are as well. I would not call them founders, but they Mike did develope the XMA format which is being taught in many schools. It is show only and never meant to be taught as a style. However that is a whole thread in of its own.


While we have an XMA class (not really taught the way Mike's curriculum works) it is a seperate program all together. Our classes are traditional Shorei-ryu classes. We still teach it traditionally. Sensei Sharkey likes the XMA program but is very strict on our students who enter it. They must be doing well in their traditional classes, they must attend at least 2 of their classes a week in order to participate in the XMA class on the weekend. They must maintain a good GPA. He believes, as does Mike and Matt, that in order to be truely successful in the XMA program you MUST have a strong foundation in traditional arts. Mike himself said flash is trash without good basics. We must be doing something right as we just had our 12th Annual 4 Day Winter Camp end yesterday where we had people from all over the US attending (TX, IA, WI, MI, NY, IL, FL, ME). They came for both traditional and XMA training.


To add to that Matt Mullins was Wing Knight on the now defunct series Kamen Riders. He also starred in Adventures of Johnny Tao, Blood Sport 2010 and developed the Sideswipe Performance Team which landed in the top 8 of America's Got Talent and has now landed a 6 month gig at the Tropicana in Las Vegas (www.sideswipelive.com).

1. I trained with Steve Yingling, he would've been at Sharkey's in the late 80's through the mid 90's I think. I don't believe that Steve made it to 1st dan, but his technique was impressive enough for me to have a deep respect for Sensei Sharkey even though I've never met him.

2. I only know of Mike and Matt from their XMA endevours, but I'm sure they are good traditionalists if they came from Sharkey's.

3. I think that is a great way to set up the curriculum. An added bonus for those students that work hard, while not taking away anything from the traditional instruction.

4. Last post off topic in this thread before we just move to a new one, PROMISE

 

[miguksaram]

1. I trained with Steve Yingling, he would've been at Sharkey's in the late 80's through the mid 90's I think. I don't believe that Steve made it to 1st dan, but his technique was impressive enough for me to have a deep respect for Sensei Sharkey even though I've never met him.

First thank you for the kind words for Sensei Sharkey. I asked him about Steve. He was a brown belt at the school. Sensei said he was really good.